Brandy

In common language, this category is often confused (most commonly all aged grape brandy is mistakenly referred to as cognac), so it is worth clarifying.

• Grape Brandy: When wine is distilled and its alcohol content is concentrated.

• Brandy: When grape brandy is aged in oak barrels, it can be made anywhere in the world where grapes are grown.

• Cognac: When brandy is produced according to strict origin rules in the region around the town of Cognac—meaning every cognac is brandy, but not every brandy is cognac.

• Armagnac: Also a type of brandy, but made in the French region of Gascony.

• Calvados: A brandy-like spirit, but it is distilled from apples—specifically apple cider.

In Hungary, the most classic brandy is Lánchíd, which is based on excellent 7-year-old French premium grape brandy. The brandy is aged in Hungarian oak and chestnut barrels.

Few people know that cognacs are almost always the result of blending—this ensures consistently high quality. In this process, the master blenders mix batches from the region to ensure the final product has the same flavors year after year. The aging classifications for cognacs are as follows:

• VS (Very Special) – Aged in oak barrels for a minimum of two years.
• VSOP (Very Superior Old Pale) – Aged in oak barrels for at least four years.
• XO (Extra Old) – Aged in barrels for a minimum of ten years.